AEG and Archer Aviation are planning a new electric air taxi vertiport at L.A. LIVE, creating a potential premium transportation option that could allow guests and artists to fly directly into the downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district while avoiding some of the city’s most challenging event-day traffic.

The exclusive multi-year agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, names Archer the exclusive air taxi provider of L.A. LIVE. If completed, the project would become the first vertiport announced in downtown Los Angeles and a key destination within Archer’s developing Southern California air taxi network.

The planned location would serve L.A. LIVE and adjacent Crypto.com Arena, connecting the four-million-square-foot entertainment district with other locations in Archer’s proposed network. Previously announced destinations include SoFi Stadium, USC, and Hollywood Burbank, with Archer’s recently acquired Hawthorne Airport serving as its central operational hub.

Archer’s Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is being developed for short, point-to-point urban transportation. The company’s goal for Los Angeles is to complete trips across the city in approximately 10 to 20 minutes, including routes that can require an hour or more by ground transportation.

That capability introduces another potential layer to the premium event experience, particularly for VIPs, suite and hospitality guests, corporate clients, artists, athletes, and other travelers moving between airports, hotels, entertainment districts, and major venues.

“We are thrilled to pursue this endeavor with Archer to enhance the fan experience around the major sports and live-entertainment events we host. This is an ambitious project and exactly the kind of forward-thinking collaboration that blends infrastructure and technology in service of our fans, visitors, and the broader community around major sports and live-entertainment events hosted at L.A. LIVE.” – Nick Baker, President and Chief Operating Officer, AEG Global Partnerships

AEG and Archer have already completed an initial feasibility study for the L.A. LIVE location covering land use, airspace, power availability, and community impact. The partners have now moved into a second phase focused on the site’s operational approach and guest experience, as they work toward establishing the downtown vertiport.

The project also begins to connect premium transportation infrastructure directly with a major sports and entertainment campus. L.A. LIVE is anchored by Peacock Theater, The Novo, Regal L.A. LIVE cinemas, and the GRAMMY Museum, along with restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues. It sits adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center and AEG-owned Crypto.com Arena, home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, NHL’s LA Kings, and WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

“Working with AEG on an iconic project like this vertiport at L.A. LIVE gives us the opportunity to continue building the infrastructure needed for Southern California to lead in the next era of all-electric flight.” – Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO, Archer Aviation

Infrastructure at the planned vertiport would include BETA Technologies electric aviation chargers, part of the recently announced ACES consortium working to establish standardized charging infrastructure capable of supporting air taxi operations around major metropolitan areas.

The L.A. LIVE location also adds another major sports and entertainment destination to Archer’s planned network. With both Crypto.com Arena and SoFi Stadium included in the company’s Los Angeles plans, the network could eventually provide air connections between two of the region’s highest-profile event campuses.

The partnership is closely tied to preparations for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archer is the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA, while downtown Los Angeles is scheduled to host 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports. The proposed L.A. LIVE vertiport would establish a downtown hub within that event footprint.

“We see this as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to add a flagship downtown location to our planned Los Angeles air taxi network ahead of the LA28 Games.” – Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO, Archer Aviation

Archer says Midnight produces substantially less noise than a traditional helicopter and generates zero operating emissions. The aircraft is designed with redundant systems as the company targets commercial-airliner levels of safety.

The L.A. LIVE project remains in development, with AEG and Archer currently evaluating operations and the guest journey following completion of the initial feasibility work. Archer will display a Midnight aircraft at L.A. LIVE on Aug. 24 and 25, including the debut of its new Team USA livery.

The project expands the definition of premium venue hospitality beyond what happens inside the building. If implemented as planned, the arrival and departure experience could become part of the premium product itself, connecting major venues and entertainment districts through dedicated air mobility rather than relying exclusively on traditional chauffeured ground transportation.

AEG and Archer to Develop Vertiport at L.A. LIVE, Expanding Archer’s Planned Los Angeles Air Taxi Network Ahead of the LA28 Games

AEG and Archer announce exclusive multi-year partnership and collaboration to develop a vertiport at L.A. LIVE, AEG’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, with Archer as the district’s exclusive air taxi provider. As the first vertiport announced in downtown Los Angeles, the site would add an iconic location to Archer’s planned Los Angeles air taxi network, giving fans, artists, and visitors the ability to take Archer’s air taxi service to and from L.A. LIVE – AEG’s downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district adjacent to Crypto.com Arena. The collaboration supports Archer’s preparations for the LA28 Games as the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA, with the DTLA Zone serving as a central hub for 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports. To celebrate, Archer will display its Midnight aircraft and officially unveil its Team USA livery at L.A. LIVE on Monday, Aug. 24, with the aircraft remaining on public display through Aug.

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